lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 1:15:16 GMT -5
I just bought an older Diamond Pacific Pixie off a lady that barely used it. It was new to her and she said that she doesn’t remember but maybe used it to shape a couple cabs and then stored it in her garage when she started painting instead. I couldn’t find a mark on the Nova soft wheels but the galaxy grinding wheels looked like they may have seen a few stones. Machine is basically new and works great I emailed Diamond Pacific and they said that the serial number shows it was made in 1980. The only problem I have is that one of the grinding wheels doesn’t have the grit stamped on the side or it has just faded away. I was able to identify the grit of the other wheels. The wheels from left to right: 80 grinding, ?? grinding, 280 polishing, 600 polishing, 1200 polishing and 14000 polishing. I don’t think she changed any wheels out because she barely used it. Does anyone know what wheels they would have shipped these machines with back then? Would that second wheel have been a 400 grinding wheel? I asked Diamond Pacific about the wheels in the same email but they only answered the question about how old it was. I found pictures online of an older machine and the person had written the grit numbers on their machine and the second wheel was a 400. I am just trying to identify them so I know what I have. Thanks for any info you can share.
|
|
khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,632
|
Post by khara on Mar 18, 2023 1:21:58 GMT -5
I’m guessing more like 220 but hopefully others will pipe in as well. Sounds like a great deal on a great machine! Glad to hear it’ll finally see some action!👍
|
|
|
Post by Peruano on Mar 18, 2023 6:43:46 GMT -5
Is the second wheel a hard wheel or soft like the nova wheels? I'd guess its hard if a 220 unless I'm thinking wrong - its been a while since I sold the pixie.
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on Mar 18, 2023 11:48:30 GMT -5
It should be a 220 grit Galaxy.
|
|
|
Post by opalpyrexia on Mar 18, 2023 12:37:11 GMT -5
You said that the grinding wheels look used. They may still have a layer of rock dust on the sides. You might take a wet piece of paper towel to the sides of the second wheel. Turn the wheels with your other hand and you'll wipe away any rock dust that may be obscuring the grit number.
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 15:21:00 GMT -5
Is the second wheel a hard wheel or soft like the nova wheels? I'd guess its hard if a 220 unless I'm thinking wrong - its been a while since I sold the pixie. Yes the second wheel is a hard wheel.
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 15:24:02 GMT -5
Sorry posted twice.
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 16:15:33 GMT -5
You said that the grinding wheels look used. They may still have a layer of rock dust on the sides. You might take a wet piece of paper towel to the sides of the second wheel. Turn the wheels with your other hand and you'll wipe away any rock dust that may be obscuring the grit number. Thanks for your reply. The wheels are really clean. There was no dust on anything. When she said that she may have shaped a couple rocks I think that was all she did. I can see the spot where the grit number was supposed to be stamped but it’s just not there. Will try get a picture of what I mean when I get home. Some of the others were hard to make out as well. Just really light numbers. Thanks all for the replies. It was definitely a good deal. She through in some other machines that were in excellent shape as well. A couple need motors though.
|
|
stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,094
|
Post by stefan on Mar 18, 2023 16:51:27 GMT -5
220. No way it would be a 400 hard wheel then go to a 280 nova. I have an old (1980's) brochure that shows a DP Pixie and talks about the hard wheels of 80 and 220 grit, then the soft wheels of 280, 600, 1200, and 3000, no mention of a 14K, but it sure would leave a nice shine! Congrates on the "new" machine
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 17:41:54 GMT -5
220. No way it would be a 400 hard wheel then go to a 280 nova. I have an old (1980's) brochure that shows a DP Pixie and talks about the hard wheels of 80 and 220 grit, then the soft wheels of 280, 600, 1200, and 3000, no mention of a 14K, but it sure would leave a nice shine! Congrates on the "new" machine Thanks for the info. Was hoping that was the case. The last one is 14000 for sure. I thought that was a pretty big jump from 1200 to 14000 but will have to see how it goes.
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on Mar 18, 2023 18:11:50 GMT -5
lorney you will need a 3000 wheel. 1200 to 14000 is way too big of a jump. DP's standard config is to have the 3000 (pink) as the last wheel. 14,000 is white. The only way it would come with a 14,000 as the last wheel is if she ordered it especially with that config.
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 19:25:19 GMT -5
lorney you will need a 3000 wheel. 1200 to 14000 is way too big of a jump. DP's standard config is to have the 3000 (pink) as the last wheel. 14,000 is white. The only way it would come with a 14,000 as the last wheel is if she ordered it especially with that config. Thanks for your advice. I thought that was a pretty big gap but I did find pictures online of the same setup so I thought it might be ok. No idea what the other person was using it for though. Will look into ordering a 3000.
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 19:27:58 GMT -5
Here are the pictures I found somewhere on the internet. Took screenshots when I found it but can’t find it now.
|
|
|
Post by catmandewe on Mar 18, 2023 19:59:41 GMT -5
Should be 80, 220 Galaxy wheels, 280, 600, 1200, 3,000 Nova Wheels with a 14,000 Nova pad that screws into the end.
Tony
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 20:35:06 GMT -5
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 20:38:10 GMT -5
I ran a few stones through just quickly to see how it worked. Those marks on the Nova wheels are from me. When I bought it you couldn’t see a rub mark on any of the Nova wheels.
|
|
lorney
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 55
|
Post by lorney on Mar 18, 2023 20:39:50 GMT -5
The two hard wheels. One is stamped 80 and the other is blank.
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on Mar 18, 2023 21:22:16 GMT -5
Hubby just informed me that back in the day, DP used to go from 1,200 to 14,000 on their machines. They changed it to 3,000 later because it was too big of a jump in grit sizes. You can use the pads with any oxide or diamond paste. They do make the 14,000 nova pads to screw on the end like Tony catmandewe said. He's an authorized DP dealer, btw. You really scored on that Pixie. Good for you! The pictures you posted of that older machine look to be a Genie with the motor in between the 2 sides of wheels. Which got me to thinking -- on Genies if the machine has been sitting around for years not being used you need to replace the capacitor for the motor. Otherwise, it almost always will fry the motor. I don't know if that's the case with the Pixies. catmandewe do you know?
|
|
|
Post by opalpyrexia on Mar 18, 2023 21:23:46 GMT -5
BTW, your 14,000 grit wheel is attached to the shaft by a "right-hand adapter". With an additional adapter you can swap out the last wheel for another wheel of a different grit in matter of seconds. I do that with my pixie: cutting cabs in batches, I have an 8,000 grit wheel attached. After I'm done with 8,000 grit, I swap it out for a 14,000 grit wheel.
I'm not recommending that you buy an adapter right now. I would wait a while until you've made a bunch of cabs, and see if it makes sense for you.
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on Mar 18, 2023 21:29:43 GMT -5
BTW, your 14,000 grit wheel is attached to the shaft by a "right-hand adapter". With an additional adapter you can swap out the last wheel for another wheel of a different grit in matter of seconds. I do that with my pixie: cutting cabs in batches, I have an 8,000 grit wheel attached. After I'm done with 8,000 grit, I swap it out for a 14,000 grit wheel. I'm not recommending that you buy an adapter right now. I would wait a while until you've made a bunch of cabs, and see if it makes sense for you. I didn't realize you could do that on a Pixie! That's awesome and really convenient. Thanks for that tidbit, Gary.
|
|